RESTAURANTS AND FOOD

The Local, Dungarvan

Marvellous Sunny Morning On The Vee (Waterford/Tipperary)

Vinilo, Lismore

Seafood Delights at Cliff House Hotel Festival Lunch

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Brunch at the Baker's Table of Lismore, just the job after a walk on The Vee

Brunch at the Baker's Table of Lismore

just the job after a walk on The Vee

Toastie

The sun is shining as we approach the Baker’s Table of Lismore on a recent Friday morning. The restaurant has just opened for brunch and we could do with some sustenance after a jaunt around the Vee, a few miles outside of the town on Blackwater River, a town perhaps best known for its castle (you may visit the gardens).

While the sun is out, the temperatures are low and logs are burning in the large fireplace in the dining room. Not just a dining room, you may call here for takeouts including coffee (by Badger & Dodo), sandwiches and sweet pastries!

The menu has quite a selection to choose from including quiches, soups, salads, pancakes and various egg dishes. CL went for the traditional Quiche Lorraine, with all the usual ingredients and two salads. Just the job after that walk on the Vee.

From the selection of open sandwiches, my choice was the the Roast

Pepper and Ardsallagh Feta Toastie, served on their own sourdough, again with a choice of two salads. Full of flavour and texture, well cooked, well presented and well priced at 10.50, same as the Quiche.

Quiche

We didn’t leave it at that. Two fine cups of the B&D coffee were ordered along with a couple from a list of tempting pastries, the Apple Crumble and Berry Crumble.

Sat back and enjoyed those, looking out at the sunny street through the large front window, taking in the display of chopping boards on one wall and a look at the nearby piano (lid closed at that hour!).

Apple

The Bakers also do a Supper Club on Friday and Saturday evenings and a Sunday Roast as well. Their hours are limited at present but do check their social media as they are more or less certain to expand opening times as the season progresses.

We did have a little hiccup with their online booking system though, as it gave us a slot at 10.00am when they weren’t actually opening until eleven. A late night phone call from the Bakers sorted it and that was why we were up on the Vee before our first meal of the day! Otherwise it would have been breakfast first and walk afterwards. As it happened, it worked out well.

Sunny morning!

On this trip

The Local, Dungarvan

Marvellous Sunny Morning On The Vee (Waterford/Tipperary)

Vinilo, Lismore

Seafood Delights at Cliff House Hotel Festival Lunch

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Dungarvan's Cheerful Shamrock Restaurant

Dungarvan's Cheerful Shamrock Restaurant

Where everybody knows your name

And they're always glad you came

You wanna go where people know

People are all the same

You wanna go where everybody knows your name

I was reminded of these words from the theme song of Cheers (the well-loved TV series) when listening to the conversations at the Shamrock Restaurant in Dungarvan on a recent evening. The restaurant is as well up in the popularity stakes as Cheers having been serving the good people of the town, and their visitors, for over 40 years.

Just to be clear. They didn't know my name. I was a blow-in and now could well blow-in again, such was the quality of the food, well-cooked well priced too, the buzz of conviviality. Incoming customers greeted by name by the staff, these customers greeting diners already at table as they passed in and passed out.

By the way, they also have rooms upstairs and these have been described as a great addition to Dungarvan by one of the town’s leading people (who is in the same business). I reckon it would be great to stay there, so central and no doubt friendly. Next time!

Steak

Anyhow, we were there for our evening meal. We knew the menu, more or less. Shamrock use social media but in a targeted way. Every day the menu goes up.You wonder why, as there seems no change, at first glance. But a more careful look reveals a few changes, always a few. After all, variety is the spice of life.

And I got a little spice, just a little in my starter, a delicious threesome of well packed Spring Rolls with accompanying salad. Notice that I said threesome; you usually get two but here it was three for just 8 euro.

Happy with the starter and very happy indeed with my mains: an 8 oz Striploin Steak Sandwich (€15) in a garlic ciabatta with caramelised onions, fresh rocket and chips. Meat was as tender and flavoursome as could be, cooked to medium as requested, and the garlic, the onions and salad all top notch as were the fries. Even better when washed down with a bottle of 9 White Deer Kolsch (6.00), a craft beer from the Ballyvourney brewer. Steak and beer both highly recommended.

Chicken

And good vibes too from the other side of the table where CL was tucking into her Roast stuffed breast of chicken (€12.00) served with broccoli and root vegetables (the veg well cooked, neither too hard nor too soft), mashed potatoes and a generous pour of gravy, this was very satisfactory plateful indeed.

We were so well fed, we declined desserts even though they were just a fiver each and included Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake, Bakewell Tart, Carrot Cake (gluten free), Sticky Toffee Pudding (qluten free), Chocolate & Orange Cake, Apple Tart, Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble, Apple and Strawberry Crumble.

And more (including specials at weekends), and all served with cream, Ice-cream or custard.

On this trip

The Local, Dungarvan

Marvellous Sunny Morning On The Vee (Waterford/Tipperary)

Vinilo, Lismore

Seafood Delights at Cliff House Hotel Festival Lunch

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Marvellous Sunny Morning on The Vee

Marvellous Sunny Morning on The Vee

The Vee has always been a "spin" for many in Cork City. I always head that way if I'm in the general area. Last week, we decided to make it again and rewarded ourselves with a lovely brunch at The Bakers Table of Lismore. Coming from our base in Dungarvan, we drove through Cappoquin and also passed Mount Melleray on the way up. Once there, we stopped at most of the viewing points, before heading down to Lismore for the grub!

Bay Lough Lake at the Vee, a pretty easy walk down from the road above.

Mount Melleray

The Owenashad River nearing Lismore where it joins the Blackwater.

Mount Melleray

Is this Clogheen town in the middle distance? Anyone?

Sheep using a seat for a scratching session!

People use mountain as a bin

I would not have seen yellow fields of rape when I first came
up here many years ago.

On this trip

The Local, Dungarvan

Marvellous Sunny Morning On The Vee (Waterford/Tipperary)

Vinilo, Lismore

Seafood Delights at Cliff House Hotel Festival Lunch

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Renovated Mount Congreve is looking very well indeed this year! Fuel up at the Stables Café.

Renovated Mount Congreve is looking very well indeed this year.

You can fuel up at Stables Café.

The Temple, with the River Suir in background
All pics taken 13.04.2023

Mount Congreve House and Gardens are situated in Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford, in Ireland’s Ancient East and are home to one of “The Great Gardens of the World”.

Mount Congreve House, home to six generations of Congreves, was built in 1760 by the celebrated local architect John Roberts. It is now in the hands of the OPW and, after a recent seven million euro revamp, is looking very well indeed, both the house and the gardens.

The gardens comprise around seventy acres of intensively planted woodland, a four acre walled garden and 16 kilometres of walkways and some great viewpoints. But don’t worry. There are some long and shorter walks and all are well signed and you can check the distances before you start off. If you tired halfway through and need some feed, then check out the Stables Café. The main walks are The Woodland Garden (55 mins), the Fragrant Walk (20 mins) and the Walled Garden Walk (30 mins). There are also guided tours.

The shop is alongside the café

If you visited Mount Congreve in the past, you’ll remember that the cafe was down in the old out-buildings, near to the car park. Now it is part of the house itself with outside tables on a terrace as well. It is now run by Catoca Fine Food and Giftware, who already list Emo Court, Portumna Castle and Doneraile Court as places where they operate food facilities.

Something sweet?

You have to queue to order your food here, then pay for it and then find a table. Not too difficult but do take a look at the menu boards around and also check the displays in the glass cabinet as the queue makes progress. Lots of us would prefer a menu in hand but this is a busy spot and some 80,000 visitors are expected this year.

Approaching the house from the car park (which is not very close at all)

Anyhow, I settled on the (already prepared) Chicken Caesar Salad (13.00) which was neatly presented and a good one. No shortage of good quality chicken, crispy bacon pieces, one or two baby tomatoes, lettuce leaves, sauce and of course the essential parmesan. CL had to wait for hers to be cooked - Smoked Salmon and Prawn Salad (16.50) - ands brought to the table and that too proved quite satisfactory and we were ready for the garden walks!

Plants for sale here also

The gardens are of course seasonal. The woodland garden peaks in the months of February through to May so the colourful rhododendrons and magnolias have reached their peak by now. One other side of the coin, the walled garden (a very extensive one) looks rather bare right now but will be the sight to see in late summer. Around the same time, in a three-quarter mile walk, there are over ninety different varieties of Hydrangeas is in full flower.

On this trip

The Local, Dungarvan

Marvellous Sunny Morning On The Vee (Waterford/Tipperary)

Vinilo, Lismore